Memories by Touch
by DrarryLover4Ever
Summary: Harry has lost his memory of the time between Bill and Fleur's wedding and the end of the war. A lot happened during that time. Will he be able to remember it on his own or will he need help?


******A/N: Here is the story that I did for the hdsmoochfest on livejournal. My names over there is hdsweetie731. I don't post much over there yet so this will still be where you can find my stuff. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Summary: The prompt was basically that Harry or Draco loses their memory of the war and Harry or Draco helps them remember by touching them. I chose to have Harry lose his memory of the war and Draco having the special touch ;) It's fluffy and Draco really isn't a jerk or anything like that (I don't like writing him that way anyway). Enjoy!**

**Memories by Touch**

The walls were a pale yellow, a shade that was supposed to be soothing, but when your best friend is lying in a hospital bed, unconscious, after defeating the darkest wizard in history, it is anything, but soothing. The colour seemed to be mocking them. There was no cheer in this room as the color yellow implied.

"Any change today?" Ron asked as he walked into the room. He handed Hermione a cup of tea and watched as she shook her head, not looking away from Harry. Ron collapsed into a chair on the other side of the bed. He frowned as he looked over at Hermione. She hadn't slept much in days and she looked awful. "Mione, why don't you get some sleep? I'll stay here. There are aurors outside the door, he'll be fine," Ron suggested.

Hermione looked up at him slowly, her brown eyes flat and dull. "I can't leave him, Ron. What if he wakes up and I'm not here?" she questioned.

Ron sighed. This was the same answer she gave every time and his response was always the same, "Okay." He sighed again and looked over at his best friend. He didn't understand why he hadn't woken up yet. He had been here for a few days and nothing had changed. The healers weren't giving any positive answers to their questions. Actually, they weren't giving any. He wished that Harry would wake up and finally enjoy his life. Voldemort was gone and definitely not coming back this time and Harry finally had a chance at normalcy.

There was a knock at the door and Ron looked up to see Harry's healer. "Good morning, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley. Any change today?" he asked as he walked over and checked Harry's vitals. He checked his potion line that was feeding nutrients and calming draughts into his body.

"Of course nothing has changed," Ron responded in a slightly bitter tone. The healer looked down at him with a lifted eyebrow. Ron looked away and saw Hermione glaring slightly at him.

"Well, Mr. Weasley, as I keep telling you, he will wake up in time. His body is still healing. He has been through some very traumatic events in a short amount of time. He will wake up when he is ready. His vitals are good, his color is coming back, and I imagine he'll be awake in the next day or so," the healer replied calmly, almost in a condescending tone.

Ron fought the urge to glare at him again. "Thank you, Healer Hornsby," Hermione cut in before he could glare or come up with some nasty retort.

Healer Hornsby nodded at her before he left the room. "Such a git," Ron muttered angrily.

"He's just doing his job," she responded as if it was the thousandth time she had said it.

"Yeah, well, he's not very good at it," Ron replied for the hundredth time.

Hermione started to retort before there was another knock at the door. She glanced over her shoulder and saw one of the aurors standing in the doorway.

"Excuse me, there is a Mister Draco Malfoy here to see Mr. Potter," the auror said politely.

Ron stood up, turning red quickly. Hermione stood up as well and stepped sideways to stop Ron from bursting past the auror and telling Draco Malfoy to get his arse out of the hospital. She gripped his shoulders and looked up at him. "Ronald, calm down. Remember, Malfoy and his family stepped away from Voldemort. They left him in the end. Harry saved Malfoy from the Room of Requirement. Beating him up is not going to make Harry wake up faster," Hermione whispered calmly.

"Why does he want to see Harry? Is he here to finish him off or something?" Ron demanded angrily.

Hermione narrowed her gaze at him. "I think you need to take a walk. I will stay here with Harry and let Malfoy come in and see him. I won't let Malfoy do anything to him. I'm sure that's not why he's here in the first place. I think he just wants to see how Harry is doing," Hermione replied calmly.

Ron searched her gaze quickly and took several deep breaths before he nodded. He walked towards the door and moved past the auror. His eyes fell on Draco on the other side. He looked somehow different, less git like. Ron nearly fell over at the sight. He stared at him in disbelief. Draco actually looked like a real person. Draco nodded slightly at him before he slipped into the hospital room. Ron's eyes widened in shock.

Draco walked into the room, but stopped as his eyes settled on Harry. Hermione stood nervously on the other side, waiting for a scathing remark from Draco. "He's been like this for a few days, hasn't he?" he whispered.

Hermione's eyes widened. She wasn't sure how to respond at first. "Um, yes, he has," she replied quietly. She watched as he walked closer to his bed and looked down at him. She couldn't quite read the expression on his face and even if she could, she would be surprised at what was there.

"No change?" he asked as he glanced up at the potion line and then quickly back at Harry.

"Um, no. Well, I guess, a little. The healer said that he's getting some color back and his vitals are good. He said that he'll probably wake up in about a day or so," Hermione told him.

He simply nodded as he watched him. Hermione saw his fingers twitch like he wanted to reach out and touch him. She frowned as she watched him. He seemed so different. Not the same Draco Malfoy.

"Why don't you sit?" she offered. She took a seat on the side she was standing on and reached out to take Harry's hand into her own. Draco glanced down at Harry's hand in Hermione's in an almost longingly way. Hermione lifted a brow at that.

Draco sat down and placed a hand on the edge of the bed. He stared at Harry's hand, his own fingers twitching once again.

"You can hold his hand. I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Hermione commented.

Draco shook his head quickly, but still looked like that was what he wanted. "Um, no. I'm sure he would mind. Actually, I know he would mind," he commented quietly.

"Then why are you here? If you think it's going to bother him that you're here, then why come?" she asked curiously.

Draco shrugged and glanced up at her. "I guess, well, I just wanted to see if he was okay," he replied.

"I don't think that's the entire reason that you're here, but regardless of that, it's nice that you've come. You and Harry definitely don't have the best past and I'm sure that he'd be pretty surprised that you were here, but I think he'd be glad that you were," Hermione said encouragingly.

Draco nodded. He continued to keep his sliver-blue gaze on Harry. He looked bad and he was worried about him. He wasn't sure exactly where the worry came from, but so much had happened in the past year that he felt that he had formed some kind of bond or something with Harry. Well, at least in the sense that they saved each other a few times. Draco didn't know how he could ever repay Harry for saving his life. He would have surely perished in the Room of Requirement if Harry hadn't come back for him. He didn't deserve his kindness. He sure as hell hadn't thanked him for it. Maybe that was why he was here. He simply wanted to thank Harry for saving his life. He frowned inwardly at that thought. No, that wasn't why he was here. When he had heard that Harry was in the hospital, unconscious, he began to worry. He was concerned that Voldemort had in fact taken Harry down with him. He couldn't imagine a world without Harry Potter in it. The name had been in his life since he was a little over a year old.

"Malfoy, are you alright?" Hermione questioned.

"Um, yeah. Thanks for letting me come in. Will you let me know when he wakes up? Send me an owl or something?" he asked as he stood up quickly from the side of Harry's bed. He started for the door.

"Malfoy, wait-" she stopped as he paused. She felt like she needed more to say, but she stopped herself. "Okay, I'll let you know," she stated simply. He nodded once before he left the room.

A minute later, Ron walked into the room, glancing behind him. He looked back at Hermione in confusion. "Alright, what did I miss?" he asked as he took the seat that Draco had vacated.

"I'm not really sure. I don't even know if that is the same Draco Malfoy that we went to school with," Hermione replied in confusion.

"Like it was someone under polyjuice potion or something?" he asked in alarm.

Hermione chuckled. "No, it was Draco Malfoy, just not the same person as we went to school with. I think he actually cares what happens to Harry. Like he truly cares," she explained.

"Huh, who would have thunk it?" Ron muttered. He looked down at Harry and saw his fingers twitch. His eyes widened and he stared intently at his hand, wondering if he was just imagining things. Hermione noticed the change as well. She looked down at Harry's hand in her own and felt a slight squeeze.

"Harry?" Hermione questioned as she stood up, still holding his hand. She reached out and brushed his hair off his forehead with her freehand.

Harry's lids fluttered and slowly started to open. He blinked several times, the brightness of the room hurting his eyes. Ron flicked his wrist and the lights dimmed.

"Water," Harry rasped out. Hermione squeaked as she released his hand and quickly poured him a glass of water. She brought it to his lips and he drank hungrily at it. He turned his head and Hermione set it down.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so glad you're awake! We were so worried about you!" Hermione cried.

Harry nodded slightly. "What happened?" he whispered.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "You don't remember?" he asked Harry.

Harry frowned as he looked past them as he thought about it. "The last thing I remember was leaving the Burrow after Bill and Fleur's wedding. Oh gods, I hope everyone is alright," Harry replied nervously.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other again. Ron stood and left the room. Harry watched after him in confusion. "Um, everything is fine, Harry. Is that really the last thing you remember?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes. How long have I been here? How did I even get here?" he questioned as he looked around the room.

Hermione was about to respond, but Ron and Healer Hornsby walked in. She looked up at them and watched as the healer checked Harry over. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter. You've been out for a few days. Let me ask you a few questions. What is your name?" he asked.

"Harry James Potter."

"And your birth date?

"July 31, 1980."

"Good, now, can you tell me what the date is today?"

"Well, let's see, I would say probably August 6, 1997, if I've been out for a few days," Harry replied matter of factly.

"Mr. Potter, it appears that you are suffering from some minor amnesia. That can happen with the types of injuries you sustained. Not to worry, I'm sure it will come back in a few days. We'll keep you here another night and then I see no reason why you can't go home tomorrow. Do you have any questions?" Healer Hornsby asked. Harry shook his head in disbelief. The healer nodded and then left the room.

"Well, what's important is that you're awake and you're going to be okay," Hermione said assuredly.

Harry snorted. "So tell me, what is the date really?" he asked.

"It is May 6, 1998," Ron replied quietly.

"Excuse me?" Harry spluttered.

"It's-" Ron stopped as Harry shook his head at him. Harry looked anguished and then closed his eyes, tears at the corners of his eyes.

"I've missed a whole year of my life or well I guess I didn't miss it, but I have forgotten it. Geez, I can't believe this!" he cried as he slammed his fists pitifully on his mattress.

Hermione patted his hand reassuringly. "Harry, it's just temporary. I can tell you what happened if you'd like," she offered.

Harry shook his head. "No, I figure it'll come back to me eventually, right? Did I at least kill Voldemort?"

Hermione and Ron both nodded. "Well, good at least that's done," he commented almost bitterly.

Hermione frowned. "I'm not sure why you sound so bitter about this," she questioned.

"Yeah, mate, I mean it's just temporary like Mione said. Voldemort is dead and that's the important thing, well and that you're awake of course," Ron pointed out.

"Yeah, sure, I guess," he replied unenthusiastically.

Hermione and Ron exchanged glances again. Harry had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. "Well, I need to go send an owl to a few people who were wondering about you and Ron, I'm sure your family would like to know that Harry's awake?" she said as she started for the door. She could tell that Harry was getting annoyed with them or the situation anyway. Ron caught the hint and stood up as well.

"We'll be back, mate," Ron said as he patted his arm and followed Hermione out of the room.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. "Seriously, will I ever get normalcy?" he demanded from no one.

"You are Harry Potter so I don't think normalcy will ever be your life. At least not the boring normalcy you're probably looking for," someone drawled from the doorway.

Harry jerked his head toward the door and saw Draco standing there. Harry took him in and could feel his face growing warm. He had come to terms awhile ago about his sexuality; at least he thought he had with his amnesia and all. He had found himself finding Draco attractive when he wasn't sneering or torturing someone a couple of years ago. He especially saw a different side of him in sixth year. At least he remembered that part of his life, not that he really wanted to.

"May I come in?" Draco asked quietly.

Harry lifted a brow at his polite tone. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard Draco use a polite tone, if ever. "Yes, come in," he replied quietly.

Draco nodded as he stepped over to Harry's bed. Harry gestured to the chair and watched as Draco nervously sat down. He looked around the room, unable to look directly at Harry. He finally looked over at him. "So I see you're awake," he pointed out.

Harry smirked. "Actually, I'm really still asleep and you're just dreaming this," he replied cheekily.

Draco smirked slightly and rolled his eyes. "I see you have your humor still," he retorted.

Harry shrugged and looked away, still smirking. "What brings you here anyway? I'm sure you weren't really that concerned about my well being," Harry asked.

Draco narrowed his gaze at him. "As a matter of fact, I was and am concerned about your well-being," he said defensively.

Harry lifted an eyebrow again. "I'm sorry, but you can see why I would ask that question, right?" he pointed out.

Draco's lip twitched and his eyes blazed slightly. Harry knew he was biting back a rude remark, but he managed to keep it to himself. "Yes, I do see why," he replied simply.

Harry hummed in surprise. "Are they sure that I haven't been out for a lot longer than a few days?"

Draco raised in eyebrow in question. "What do you mean?"

Harry chuckled. "You, you're just different. You're acting more like a real person instead of a spoiled brat who thinks the whole world revolves around him. It's unbelievable," he responded.

Draco bit his lip and looked away. "Yes, well war changes people and I realized a lot during the whole ordeal. The life I grew up in was a farce. There is much more to life than following some deranged dark wizard. I guess I figured it out too late though," he replied.

Harry shook his head. "You figured it out a few weeks ago in the prefect bathroom, I think, probably before I cast the curse on you. I am sorry about that," he apologized.

Draco scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about? That was last year, not a few weeks ago," he said carefully.

Harry frowned and bit his lip. "Yes, I suppose that was last year. My mistake," he whispered absentmindedly.

"Potter, are you alright?" Draco asked unsurely.

Harry waved him off. "Just a bit of amnesia."

"A bit of amnesia? Seriously? What is the last thing you remember?" Draco questioned.

"Um, Ron's brother Bill's wedding to Fleur," he replied.

Draco's eyes widened. "That was last August! Are you telling me that you don't remember anything past that date?"

Harry shrugged. "For now. The healer said that with the injuries that I sustained, amnesia was a possibility. It'll come back," he assured himself.

Draco looked at him in disbelief. "How are you so calm about this? I would be freaking out!" he exclaimed.

Harry chuckled. "It's expected. Like you said, I'm Harry Potter and boring normalcy isn't meant to be in my life. What's a little amnesia to go along with every other messed up thing I've dealt with?"

"But that's a whole year of your life, just gone. What if it never comes back?" Draco asked in concern.

Harry shrugged again. "Voldemort's gone. That's the important thing, right? All that I missed was a bunch of lives lost because of me, who wants to remember that?"

Draco searched Harry's eyes. He could tell that he didn't mean his words. He was trying to show a brave face. He frowned. "That might be the case, but you would also miss some great things," he pointed out quietly.

"Such as?" Harry asked.

"Well, your friends realizing their feelings for one another for one. It's about time I say. Always fighting and all…" Draco stopped as Harry gave him a glare. He blushed slightly and continued. "Okay, um, people rejoicing because they were finally free from Voldemort. That was my family and I. You killing Voldemort freed us. Plus, everyone who celebrated the joy of having him gone. People realizing that you can only cheat death so many times before it comes after you. You saved a lot of people that day, Potter, including me," Draco continued.

Harry bit his lip. "Well, I simply destroyed Voldemort. That's all. Aside from freeing you and your parents from his power over you, I haven't done much else," he replied.

Draco snorted. "You saved me, Potter, more than once. I wish you could remember that."

Harry looked at him in surprise. He seemed very bothered by the fact that he couldn't remember it. Now having this amnesia issue was bothering Harry more than it already was. "I'm sorry, I don't remember, but when I do, I'll let you know?" he suggested quietly.

Draco nodded. "Yeah, okay. Wow, I better let you rest. Sorry. I simply came here to see how you were, well I never left…" Draco trailed off as he realized he revealed something he didn't want Harry to know. He blushed deeply while Harry tried not to smile at the revelation.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'll see you around," Harry responded as he stretched his hand out towards Draco.

Draco stared at the hand in front of him. He worried his lip slightly as he reached out tentatively and shook Harry's hand. As soon as his hand gripped Harry's, he felt a strong grip as Harry's eyes widened and went blank. Draco stared at him fearfully. It was like Harry was having some sort of quiet seizure, the way his face was so blank. He watched as some tears slipped down Harry's cheeks.

"Potter! Hey, Potter! Snap out of it!" Draco cried as he waved his hand in front of Harry's face.

Harry's face continued to be blank. Draco dropped his hand and brought both up to Harry's face to try and get him to focus. He moved his face so that their eyes could lock. Harry blinked several times before his eyes finally settled on Draco. They stared at each other without blinking. Draco brushed his thumbs across Harry's cheeks, wiping his tears.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked quietly.

"I just remembered something," Harry whispered.

Draco frowned. He dropped his hands slowly and stepped back. "What did you remember that would make you cry?"

Harry glanced away. "I remembered Bellatrix torturing Hermione. Her screams from the dungeon," he responded quietly.

Draco looked down at his hands. "I heard them too…" he trailed off at the end with a frown.

Before this day and moment, Harry would have yelled at Draco for not stopping Bellatrix, but he knew that Draco had no more power over the situation than he did. "I hope you're not blaming yourself or something for what happened to her," Harry whispered.

Draco looked up at him in surprise. "If I could have stepped in, I would have. I know what it feels like to be tortured and every moment that Granger experienced, I had been through it too."

Harry waved him off. His eyes started to droop and closed for a moment. When he opened them again, Draco was looking at him with a thoughtful expression. "Sorry. You would think I'd have tons of energy after being unconscious for awhile, but that is definitely not the case here," he commented, his eyes drooping again.

Draco chuckled. "Get some rest. I'll see you later," Draco told him kindly. He waved before he left the room, wishing he could stay and hold his hand instead.

Harry drifted off to sleep soon after he left. For the first time in years, he didn't dream.

**XXXX**

"Alright, let's get you set up in bed here, Harry, and here are your potions. Ron and I will stay with you for a few nights while you get used to being back at home or your temporary home, whatever. I'm going to run to the store and get some groceries. Ron will be here soon. Do you think you can handle being on your own for a bit?" Hermione rattled off.

Harry climbed onto his bed and sighed. He left the hospital to get away from people fussing over him and Hermione wasn't helping much. "Mione, I'll be fine. If I have any issues, I have my potions here and I'm sure Kreacher is lurking around somewhere," he pointed out.

Hermione frowned at him. "Alright, well, I'll be back. Don't move," she ordered as she waltzed out of the room. Harry rolled his eyes. He slid down and lied down on his side. He was going to be stuck in bed for a few more days which he found horrible, but he hoped it would give him time to regain his memories of the past year.

That brought his thoughts to when he and Draco had shaken hands and how he started to remember something right then. He remembered feeling Draco's smooth hands on his face, his thumbs caressing his cheeks, wiping his tears. He blushed as he thought about how close they had been and how tempted he was to kiss him. He threw his arm over his eyes and groaned.

"Is this a private party or can anyone join?" Draco drawled from Harry's doorway.

Harry froze as he lifted his arm slightly and peeked over at Draco. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked in surprise.

Draco chuckled as he stepped into the room. "Granger let me in through the floo on her way out. She seemed relieved that I was here."

Harry sat up and his head swam. He swayed and started to go over the side of the bed, but Draco rushed over and caught him before he hit the ground. As Draco was pushing him back up onto the bed, he noticed Harry's blank look. "Oh geez, not again!" Draco cried as he leaned Harry against his pillows. As he was removing his hands from Harry's shoulders to bring them to his face again, Harry blinked several times and caught his panicked look.

He searched Draco's eyes, seeing nothing, but concern. It warmed his heart. "Sorry, another memory," Harry whispered.

Draco furrowed his brow in confusion. "Is this the only other memory you've remembered?"

Harry nodded. "This time I remembered all the camping we did. It kind of blurred together, but there was a lot of camping and I remember it being cold and lonely, even though Hermione was there the entire time and Ron for some of the time," he explained.

Draco shuddered at the mention of camping. "I can't even imagine camping like that or any form of camping, ever," he responded with another shudder.

Harry laughed. "Well, if you're with the right person, I think camping could be a lot of fun," he blushed. Draco lifted a brow at that. Harry looked away. "So why do you ask about it?"

"Well, let me try something," Draco said. He lifted his hands and touched Harry's shoulder. He watched as Harry instantly went blank. He let go after a minute or so and watched him carefully.

Harry shook his head. "You didn't give me away," he whispered.

Draco leaned back and looked away, his cheeks coloring slightly. "You were our only hope. I couldn't do that," he whispered.

"Were you tortured because of it? Did they figure it out?" Harry asked.

Draco shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It was worth it," he replied.

Harry frowned and looked away. He wrung his hands in his lap. "Somebody always risks something for me," he commented absently.

Draco reached out to touch him, but stopped, wanting him to stay in the present for the moment. "Listen, I know in school I was a right prat to you and I treated you and your friends horribly. I also know that I was overconfident about my life and thought nothing could touch me. I was so deeply wrong about that. I'm just glad I figured it out before it took my life and I'm glad that regardless of how I treated you, you still saved me," Draco explained.

"I don't remember what else I did besides destroy Voldemort, but you're welcome," Harry offered.

Draco nodded, his look saying there was something more that Harry had done, but he didn't want to tell him. "So you said you haven't had any other memories come back?"

"Only when you've touched me," Harry replied, a blush coloring his cheeks.

Draco grinned. He stood up from the bed and walked around Harry's room. He glanced at his bookshelf, scanning the titles. He saw several muggle novels amongst the magical ones. "Maybe that's how they'll come back. I guess I'll have to touch you a bunch of times then," he suggested.

Harry blushed deeply at that. He cleared his throat before responding. "Don't you think we should get to know each other more before we touch each other?" he questioned. He chuckled when Draco dropped a book he was looking at. Draco bent over quickly and picked up the book allowing Harry a quick view of his well toned arse. Harry made sure to look quickly away before Draco caught him.

Draco walked over and sat down on his bed across from him. "You are quite cheeky aren't you?"

Harry smiled slyly and shrugged. "I'm confined to my bed for a few more days. I might as well keep my humor about it," he replied nonchalantly.

"So, what do you want to know about me?" Draco asked.

"Well, I only know the not so great parts about you. Tell me something good about you," Harry suggested.

"Um… you know, you would think that would be easy to answer, but I think I've forgotten the good in me," Draco replied quietly.

"Well, I can think of one thing right now, you're here with me. That's definitely not something you have to do. I hope that there isn't something that you're feeling guilty about that made you come here. I would never want someone to come around or stay around out of guilt," Harry pointed out.

"I don't really feel guilty about anything specific. I guess I feel guilty about my part in this war, but as far as that being the reason I'm here, it's not," Draco responded.

"Okay, so why are you here? Not that I mind. I actually quite like having you here," Harry asked, blushing at the end.

Draco smiled. "It'll come back to you. Just know that I am here because I want to be, not because I feel guilty."

Harry frowned at him, but nodded. He'd prefer to remember anyway then have everyone tell him what happened. Details were often left out when someone else told you what happened. "Okay, so were you seeing anyone before or during all the stuff that happened?"

Both of Draco's brows lifted in surprise at the direct question. "Wow, um…. okay, let's see, um, I am going to say no," he said carefully and unsurely.

"No? Hmm…. You don't seem to set on that answer," Harry pointed out.

"Well, I wasn't officially seeing anyone or anything. I don't know. I'd rather not talk about that. It seems like so long ago. What about you though?" Harry shook his head. Draco lifted an eyebrow at that. "I thought you and the Weaslette were a thing?"

Harry snorted. "Ginny and I? No. Actually, she was the girl that made me realize that I don't really like girls," he replied.

Draco looked away. "So I wasn't imagining things," he muttered.

"Excuse me?" Harry asked, unsure of what he heard.

"Nothing. So you have quite a variety of books over here. Have you read them all?" Draco asked as he stood up again and walked over to the bookshelf. He pulled out some of the books on the shelf and flipped through them.

Harry frowned in confusion. "Um, yes, I've read them. Not much else I could do outside of chores. I didn't have any friends in school. I was always the weird kid and of course, my cousin Dudley didn't help the situation," he replied.

"I had heard rumors that your life at home was less than ideal. Of course, I thought it was just people trying to make others feel sorry for you, but I was obviously wrong about that too," Draco responded.

"You know, you talk a lot about how wrong you've been. Why don't you ever talk about the times you've been right?" Harry questioned.

Draco returned to the bed, sitting closer to Harry. "I haven't been right very much in my life, but I want to change that."

"Alright, so change it. Help me get my memories back. It's obvious that they only come back when you touch me. So touch me, Draco. Help me remember," Harry requested, aware that his words alluded to much more than his memories.

Draco blushed deeply at Harry's words. "Um… I…" he stuttered. He started to stand again, but Harry reached out to stop him. As soon as they touched, Harry's mind started flashing images. This time he felt himself fall back against the pillows, pulling Draco closer to him since he was gripping his arm. He saw faces of those he had loved and cared about flashing before his eyes. He felt tears coming to his eyes and felt them sliding down his cheeks. He suddenly felt very overwhelmed and let go of Draco's arm. He let out a sob and brought his hands up to his face.

"Harry," Draco whispered. He reached out to touch his arm, but Harry jerked it away.

"Don't touch me," his voice cracked.

Draco pulled back his hand. "What did you remember?"

"Remus, Tonks, Fred…. They are all gone. They died because of me," Harry cried.

Draco frowned and despite Harry not wanting to be touched, he reached out and did something that he had never done before and never would have thought he would do. He pulled Harry into a hug. He held him close as he cried about all the people who were lost in the war that he knew. He didn't feel him stop crying and figured that he wasn't remembering something right now. He was probably too emotional for that.

He felt his belly warm when Harry wrapped his arms around him. It was familiar and held hope that he was afraid he didn't deserve. "Its okay, Harry," he assured him. He felt Harry nod and then he moved back from Draco. He wiped at his eyes and sighed.

"Sorry. All of the deaths came back in one rush. I don't normally react that way," he whispered.

"You've dealt with death your entire life. I imagine having all of that come back in one moment is definitely a difficult thing to handle," Draco assured him.

Harry nodded and leaned back against the pillows again. He felt his eyes grow heavy. "I'll go. You need some rest," Draco said as he started to get up from the bed.

Harry reached out to stop him. "No. Please stay," he muttered. His tired green eyes opened slowly to look at Draco. He stared back at him. He couldn't say no. He smiled and nodded. Harry smiled back and closed his eyes. Draco watched him for a moment, his look softening further. Harry looked so peaceful in sleep. Draco sighed and leaned back against Harry's pillows.

Draco's future was so uncertain. He knew he was facing a trial for his part in the war. He was afraid. He didn't want to go to Azkaban and miss out on the life that had so many possibilities. He looked down at one of them. He wanted to reach out and touch him, but refrained. He knew that his father was going to Azkaban. There was no way he was getting out of it. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. A part of him thought it served him right for following Voldemort, but the other part of him didn't want to see his father go.

He sighed and chose to reach out and take a hold of Harry's hand. He linked their fingers together and summoned a book from Harry's shelf. He flipped it open and started to read. Within a few minutes, Harry started talking in his sleep. Draco ignored him, figuring he was just talking randomly, but then he heard something that caught his attention.

"I'm ready to die. Will you all be with me?" Harry muttered. Draco turned to face Harry more fully. His eyes were moving rapidly beneath his lids and he imagined that Harry was remembering something else. He glanced down at their joined hands and debated about letting go. He decided against it and kept their hands linked.

Harry muttered more words that Draco didn't understand. He started to turn back to the book when he heard his name. "Yes, Draco is safe," he whispered.

Harry sighed in his sleep and Draco heard no more. He scrunched his eyebrows up in thought, wondering who he was talking to and what he was remembering. Who would he tell that he was safe? He hoped that when Harry awoke he would remember.

**XXXX**

Hermione returned a couple of hours later, annoyed with the grocery shopping. It was really hard for her to go to the store with everyone trying to get her attention. "I knew I should have altered my appearance before I left," she grumbled as she put the groceries on the table. She put away the cold stuff in the ice box and turned around, heading for the stairs. She wondered if Draco was still there. She had a feeling that there was more to his presence then just wanting to be sure that Harry was okay.

She stopped outside Harry's room and peeked in his room. Harry was lying on his side, his head resting against Draco's arm while his left hand was linked with Draco's right. Draco was leaning against the headboard, his eyes closed. She sighed as she looked at the two knowingly.

"It's rude to stare," Draco murmured from the bed.

Hermione squeaked in surprise as she stepped further into the room. "Sorry, it's just a nice sight," she replied quietly.

Draco opened his eyes and leveled her with his gaze. "Why is it a nice sight?" he asked.

Hermione walked over to the side that Harry wasn't on. "Well, you two have been fighting since first year. It's just nice to see you like this, obviously not fighting. It helps me understand why you're here," she replied.

Draco lifted an eyebrow at her. "Why am I here then?"

"Because you like Harry," she stated simply.

Draco blushed deeply confirming her statement. "Well, yeah, I mean, I like him just fine," he stuttered. Hermione lifted an eyebrow at him. He sighed and looked away. "I want Harry to remember," he whispered.

"Remember what?" Hermione questioned. She had no idea what he was talking about which was something she wasn't used to.

Harry stirred next to Draco, interrupting their conversation. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at Draco. He smiled at him before he noticed Hermione. He smiled at her as well as he pushed himself up, letting go of Draco's hand.

"Did you find everything you needed at the store?" Harry asked. He missed the look that Hermione gave Draco before she looked at him and smiled.

"Yes, but it took far longer than it should have. I should have altered my appearance before going," Hermione responded in annoyance. She crossed her arms angrily.

Harry chuckled. "Glad I don't have to go anywhere for awhile."

"Well, I have to. I need to get home," Draco said as he stood from the bed. Harry looked stricken that he was leaving.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Harry asked. Hermione looked between the two unsurely.

Draco smiled slightly at him. "I'll come back tomorrow, okay?" he offered.

Harry frowned, but nodded. Draco nodded to them both before he left. Harry sighed and sat back against his pillows. "I remembered some things today," Harry said.

Hermione beamed. "What did you remember? How?"

"Well, I think that whenever Draco touches me, I remember. I think that's how I'm going to remember everything. But, I remembered that Draco didn't give us away at Malfoy Manor and all the camping we did. I also remembered…" he paused, gulping. He felt tears coming to his eyes again and he didn't have to say anything for Hermione to know what he had remembered. Her eyes welled up as well and she climbed up onto the bed and grabbed his hand. "I wish they hadn't died. Merlin, Ron lost his brother and he was sitting by my bedside. He should have been with his family, not with the person who got them killed," Harry said, choking back a sob.

Hermione let her tears fall as she shook her head. "No, Harry, you were not the reason they died. You know that deep inside. Voldemort killed them just like everyone else in this war," she assured him.

Harry nodded and wiped at his eyes. He took several deep breaths before his tears stopped. "I know. I just can't help feeling like it's my fault."

She shook her head. "It's not. How about I make us some dinner?" she said changing the subject.

Harry nodded. Hermione smiled and squeezed his hand once before she left. Harry closed his eyes as he thought about the other thing he remembered while he was sleeping. He missed Draco already.

**XXXX**

A few days passed and Harry was up and around. Draco hadn't been back and Harry hadn't heard from him. He was worrying that something had happened to him. He stood at his window looking out at the street. There was a small park across the way and he saw a couple of families playing. He smiled at how carefree they looked. He hadn't remembered anything else since Draco was here last. It solidified that Draco and Harry touching was how he was going to remember.

Hermione and Ron were at the Burrow. They had had Fred's funeral the day before and Harry was grateful that he was able to attend. Remus and Tonks' funeral was that coming weekend as well as Snape's which he was attending all three.

Harry sighed as he turned away from the window. He looked around his house, thinking about anything, but where Draco was and why he hadn't come back. He walked into his kitchen and opened the cupboards absently. He pulled out a bag of crisps and slowly started making his way back to the sitting room to watch the tele. He heard the floo flare behind him and assumed it was Hermione and Ron. "I'm in here. Watching the tele and not worrying about where Draco is," Harry called, but murmured at the end.

"You're not worrying about me?" Draco questioned in a teasing tone.

Harry turned around quickly, relief in his face. It was quickly replaced by a disgruntled expression. He crossed his arms, the crisps bag crumpling slightly. "Where have you been?" Harry questioned in an accusing tone. He bit his lip at how ridiculous he sounded. Draco just smirked at him and then his face became serious.

Draco walked further into the room. "I'm sorry, Harry. I've been preparing for my trial and for Severus's funeral. My father had his trial the day I was going to come back too and there has just been so much going on. I'm really sorry," Draco stated honestly.

Harry frowned and blushed deeply. "Sorry, I guess, well, I missed having you here. Amazing what two days with you does to me," he apologized.

Draco smiled slightly at him. He walked over and stood next to him. "How are you feeling?" he asked sincerely. Harry sat down and gestured for Draco to sit as well. Draco complied and sat at one end of the couch. Harry frowned slightly, scolding himself inwardly for being so concerned about where Draco sat.

He sighed. "I'm doing okay. I went to Fred's funeral yesterday which was hard and I'm going to Remus's and Tonks' funeral this weekend as well as Snape's," Harry replied.

Draco quirked an eye brow at Snape. "Really?" he questioned.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I mean, he was actually trying to protect me all those years and my mum was really close with him. Actually, he loved my mum. I was with him when he died and he gave me his memories of her. It helped me understand him more. He really was a brilliant man," he replied.

Draco stared at him for several moments before speaking. "My godfather was definitely an interesting man, but I cared deeply for him. Um… would you like to go with me?" He looked down at the place between them, his cheeks coloring slightly.

Harry grinned and blushed too. "Yeah, I'll be your date," he responded cheekily. Draco jerked his head up, his cheeks flaming red. Harry smirked at him. Draco narrowed his gaze and crossed his arms.

"Who says I want to date you?" Draco questioned.

Harry's eyes widened and he bit his lip. "I, uh, well…." The color on his cheeks was quickly deepening.

Draco chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I'm kidding, Harry. So have you had anymore memories come back?" he asked. Harry frowned as he thought about his response, wondering if that meant he would date him or something. His stomach flip flopped as he thought about that. He pushed that aside though and focused on the second part of his conversation.

"Um, no I haven't. You're the only one who can help bring them back. Ron and Hermione have tried and it doesn't work with them. I don't know why it's only you who can bring them back, but that's how it is," he replied.

Draco nodded. "Would you like to remember more?"

"Yes, I think it's time. Well, I suppose that it is up to my mind how much I will remember at once, but I need to remember everything. It's like I'm at a stand still because I know that important things are missing and I can't move on with my life until I remember everything," Harry replied.

Draco nodded. "Okay, well, come here then," he said as he gestured for Harry to move closer to him. Harry blushed and moved right next to him. Draco placed his hand out in front of Harry. Harry reached out and took a hold of it without hesitation. Instantly, Draco watched as his stare went blank and Harry went off on a quest for his memories. Draco watched Harry's expression for any suggestion of the kinds of memories that were returning to him.

Harry's face changed from calmness to anger to sadness and to finally realization. Draco let go of his hand to see if he had remembered everything. Harry blinked his eyes slowly and then turned to look at Draco, studying him. Harry searched his eyes for something Draco didn't know. He felt nervous under Harry's gaze. Finally, Harry moved towards him, slowly. Draco froze in place, unsure of what Harry was going to do. Harry glanced down at Draco's lips quickly and then closed the distance between them.

His lips moved slowly, unsurely over Draco's. He was careful not to put too much pressure in case he had misunderstood one of his memories. No sooner had this thought crossed his mind then Draco reached up and gently cupped his face in his hands increasing the pressure between them. Harry felt his belly warm and a familiar tingling in his nether regions.

After several moments of their kissing, Draco pulled away, breathing heavily. He slowly opened his eyes and they locked on green. "Wow, I… that was amazing," Draco whispered breathlessly.

"That should have happened after we got out of the Room of Requirement," Harry whispered back.

Draco blushed deeply and smiled. "You remember that?"

Harry nodded. "You're welcome by the way," he teased.

Draco narrowed his gaze at him and quickly pulled Harry towards him crushing their lips together again. Harry gasped against his mouth and returned the kiss with fervor. Once again, they pulled apart, foreheads together, breathing even heavier than before. "Thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am of you."

"I think I have some idea," Harry breathed.

Draco chuckled and then pulled Harry into a hug. He held him close. "Did you remember everything?" he asked quietly.

"I think so. Draco, I'm grateful for you, too, in a lot of ways. I wouldn't have made it through this war without you and I wouldn't have remembered it without you either," he told him. He tilted his head, breathing in Draco's intoxicating sense.

"You didn't need my help through the war," Draco insisted.

"If you had given me away at your house, we wouldn't be here right now and our world would be very different," Harry explained.

Draco nodded in understanding. He pulled back and brought his hands down to take Harry's in his own. "I have to get through my trial first though, to truly enjoy the life you have given me," he told him.

Harry reached up and gently touched his cheek. "You'll get through it and everything will be okay. Besides, the savior's love can't be stuck in Azkaban, that's just not right," he teased.

Draco blushed and shook his head. "Someone you love is possibly going to Azkaban?" he questioned innocently.

It was Harry's turn to blush. He was about to respond when there was a tap at his window. Harry looked over Draco's shoulder to see an owl. He frowned as he reluctantly moved away from Draco to get up and get the owl. He let the owl in and pulled the scroll off its leg. He gave it a treat before it flew back out the window and Harry turned to Draco. He walked back over to him, sitting down. He held the scroll out and Draco looked down at it peculiarly. He unrolled it and read it quickly. His bottom lip quivered and he gulped.

Harry looked on nervously. "What is it?"

"They've moved up my trial," Draco muttered.

Harry lifted his eyebrows. "To when?"

"Tomorrow," Draco replied dejectedly.

Harry sat back for a moment, processing it. "It'll be okay. I'm sure of it," Harry assured him.

Draco shrugged. "Merlin, I wonder why they moved it up. Okay, I can't let it get to me. You're right, everything will be fine," Draco nodded, trying to convince himself that it would be okay.

Harry could tell that he was afraid. He reached over and pulled him into his arms. He could feel him shaking slightly in his arms. They stayed like that for a long time.

Draco leaned back again and took a deep breath. "I should probably go. I need to tell my parents about this. I'll let you know how my trial goes after it's over. I'm glad you've remembered everything," Draco said. He pushed to stand up and Harry followed. He walked him to the fireplace and they stood their awkwardly. Finally, Draco reached out for Harry and pulled him towards him once again. He kissed him fiercely, as if it was going to be the last time he'd ever kiss him, which it very well could be.

Once he was released, Harry looked up at him. "Everything will be okay. Don't worry," Harry assured him again.

Draco nodded and leaned over and kissed Harry's cheek. It felt so right to both of them to act this way with one another. Harry squeezed his hand and watched Draco floo away. Harry sighed and walked away, heading for the stairs.

**XXXX**

The next morning, Draco sat outside the court room that he was going to be in for his trial. His mother was not allowed to come and his father was already in Azkaban. Draco was bouncing his leg nervously unsure of what was going to happen to him.

The door to the courtroom opened and Draco looked up to see an auror coming out. The auror gestured at Draco and he stood, following him into the room. Draco of course looked around nervously. These rooms were so dark and foreboding. He felt his breathing increase and his heart begin pounding as he approached the chair. He sat down in it and instantly the cuffs on the arm rests clasped around his wrists. He cringed at the feel of the cool metal on his skin. He tried to take deep breaths to calm himself, but it wasn't helping.

He heard a door open above and he looked up to watch the Wizengamot walk in. He felt sick to his stomach as he knew that his fate rested solely in their hands. They took their seats and the lead wizard pulled a stack of papers towards him. He looked down at the top paper and read over it quickly.

"Draco Malfoy, you are here to face charges for your participation in Death Eater activities during the war," the man said. Draco nodded. "Do you have any witnesses to testify for you?"

Draco bit his lip, but shook his head. The man nodded and was about to continue when the door to the room opened. The Wizengamot looked down at the entrance and Draco watched their reactions turn to surprise. He furrowed his brow, wondering who had come into the room.

"He does have a witness!" the person called out and to Draco it was music to his ears. Harry was here!

He looked to his right and saw Harry step up next to him. Harry didn't look at him, but he was confident that everything would be okay, now that he was here.

"Mr. Potter? You are a witness for Mr. Malfoy here?" the lead wizard questioned confusion evident.

"Yes, I am," Harry stated clearly.

The lead wizard exchanged glances with the rest of the Wizengamot and then nodded for him to proceed. Harry nodded and began. He glanced quickly at Draco who was looking at him expectantly. "I want to start off by saying that Draco and I have never gotten along until recently. We were on opposite sides of the war and it appeared that we hated each other, but what it really was is that we didn't understand each other. Every decision that he made was to try and save his family from Voldemort's wrath. I understand that now. He didn't make the best choices, but he also made good ones too. He kept me safe when snatchers took me to his house. He told them he couldn't tell if it was me even though he knew. Draco is a good person. He has been helping me heal after the war. I could never repay him for that. All the decisions that he made were for his family and I'm sure this isn't the first time you've heard that, but for him, it's true. He doesn't belong in Azkaban. He finally has the opportunity to have the life he should have. He is brilliant and I know that no matter what he does, he will excel," Harry explained.

Draco watched the Wizengamot as they listened to Harry. They looked as mesmerized as Draco felt. "Mr. Potter, you stand by what you're saying?" the lead wizard asked.

"Yes, I do," Harry stated clearly.

The man nodded and turned to look at the others around him. "We need to talk about this. Please have a seat Mr. Potter."

Harry nodded and turned. He gave Draco a small smile before he sat down. The Wizengamot deliberated for a long time. Draco was so wound up and anxious that he thought he was going to go insane. Finally, the people were done deliberating and the lead wizard was looking down at him.

"Mr. Malfoy, although we don't agree with what you did as a Death Eater, it is obvious that Mr. Potter cares deeply for you and believes in you. We are not sending you to Azkaban; however, you will be on probation for three years and if at any point you step over the line, you will be back here and you will go to Azkaban. Do you understand?"

Draco was bursting on the inside and it was very difficult for him to not beam at them. He nodded carefully. "I understand, sir," he replied.

"Then you are dismissed and I hope that we never see you in here again," the lead wizard stated. He stood and the rest of the Wizengamot filed out of the room. As soon as they left, the wrist cuffs released and Draco gently massaged his wrists, processing what had just happened. He wasn't going to Azkaban. He could have a life and never see the inside of that awful place. He leapt from the chair and turned quickly around. Harry was sitting in the gallery, grinning broadly at him. Draco gushed as he walked quickly over to him.

They embraced and Draco held him tightly. "Thank you," he whispered, tears in his eyes. Harry squeezed him back. They stepped back from one another and walked quickly out of the courtroom.

"I told you, my love was not going to Azkaban," Harry reminded him.

"You keep talking about this love of yours. Sounds like I have a competition ahead of me," Draco joked.

Harry chuckled. He stopped and turned Draco to face him. "I never told you one of my memories. I was sleeping when it came back to me, but you're not the only Malfoy that saved me during the war."

Draco lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "Who?"

"Your mother. Voldemort sent her to check to see if I was dead. I was pretending because if I didn't, Voldemort would have killed me before I could kill him. You see, I was the last horcrux and once he killed me, he became mortal and could be killed. When your mother came to check on me, she asked if you were safe. I told her that you were, and so she told Voldemort that I was dead. We saved each other more than once during this war."

Draco stood there motionless. He didn't know this about his mother. "Wow, I'm surprised to hear that. It still doesn't answer the question as to who your love is," he pointed out.

Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Do I need to take back my comment about you being brilliant?" Draco smirked and shook his head. Harry sighed and blushed. "My love is you. I remember that when I came back for you, and our eyes locked, things fell into place for me. I saw something that day that changed how I felt about you. Seeing you at the hospital, in my house, just solidifies what I saw. I remember everything, especially how you made me feel when I rescued you. Somewhere between then and now, I fell in love with you. It's crazy, I know, but it's the truth," he explained.

Draco blushed deeply, his heart swelling. "I wasn't imagining things, was I?" he asked, repeating something he said before. Harry understood now what he meant. He shook his head. "I fell in love with you a long time ago and now that this is behind me, I can move forward and I refuse to move any further without you being with me," he declared.

Harry grinned and then smiled broadly. He nodded happily and rushed forward to capture Draco's lips in a kiss. He didn't care if anyone saw them. He was finally able to have a life and as luck would have it, Draco was going to be right by his side.


End file.
